“Cool. I know that’s what you wanted. What are you researching?”
“Oh, you know…a lot of stuff.”
Was he being evasive or did he remember how bored she’d gotten with his long, drawn-out scientific explanations?
“So, I guess you graduated from MIT.”
“Nah. I went three years, then a friend of mine offered me this opportunity and I never looked back.”
“Well, good. I’m glad you’re doing well.” Especially since I dumped your ass. Now I can stop feeling guilty. “Uh, I need to get this tea upstairs before it gets cold.”
“Oh? Do you deliver?”
She laughed. “Not usually. I have a friend up there who’s a little upset. There’s nothing like a good cup of tea with honey to comfort someone.”
“That or a good cup of rum.” He winked.
Ugh. He remembers how I used to cope with…everything.
“Yeah, well, I gotta go.”
“Hey, maybe I’ll stop by when you’re open.”
“Sure. And tell your friends about us.” She hoped he was just being polite. Bumping into Maynard on the sidewalk was one thing, but being buddies wasn’t something she wanted to do. She edged away and hoped he took the hint.
“Well, bye. It was good to see you.” But not really.
“Yeah, same here.”
By the time Claudia returned to her apartment, Anthony had uncovered the rest of the license plate number and was on the phone with Nick. She passed by without looking at him but felt his eyes on her.
“What do you take in your tea, Angie?”
“Honey and lemon, if you have them.”
Claudia poured Angie a generous cup and stirred.
“Is everything all right, honey?” Anthony asked Claudia.
Angie’s brows lifted.
“Uh, yeah. Fine.” Claudia handed Angie the tea and felt her cheeks heat.
Angie looked from Anthony to Claudia. “So, are you two…”
Claudia looked over at Anthony, wondering what had possessed him to call her “honey” in front of their employee. He slipped his arm around her waist and warmed her with a side squeeze.
“Yes,” he said. “We are.”
A glow of pride fought with her better judgment, but eventually her sentimental side won. She wrapped her arm around him too. “We’ve been keeping it quiet.”
“I hope you will too,” Anthony said.
“Hell, yes,” Angie said. “Does Ruxandra know?”
Anthony closed his eyes. “Unfortunately, yes.”
“Jesus! Aren’t you afraid she’ll try to harpoon Claudia like she did Brandee when she thought you were into her? What’s to prevent raging Ruxandra from becoming a bull in a bone china shop?”
Claudia tried not to smile. It was a serious concern, but Angie’s spin on it…well…
“She’s been warned. You’re both safe. If you weren’t, I’d hire another bodyguard.”
Angie and Claudia glanced at each other. “Another?”
Anthony sighed. “You might as well know. Remember how Kurt and Tory hung out at the bar all the time? I had asked them to keep an eye on the place.”
Angie set her tea down and folded her arms. “I thought Tory was there to see me. Are you telling me he was working there?”
“I’m sure seeing you was a major bonus, Angie.”
She muttered something under her breath, but Claudia decided to leave it alone. The girl had been through enough for one night.
Chapter 10
The following evening at the tea room, Angie seemed a little better. Apparently Nick had found out who owned the van and was hunting him down. Claudia had just been thinking about her accidental meeting with Maynard yesterday when the bell over the door tinkled. She looked up.
Speak of the devil.
“Maynard. I didn’t expect to see you so soon.” She kept her feet firmly planted on the other side of the counter in front of the cash register.
“I couldn’t resist your invitation. I even invited some friends as you suggested.”
Angie peeked up from her order pad as she wrote.
“Sit anywhere you like,” Claudia continued. “How many friends are you expecting? We can push together a couple of tables if you’re a party of seven or more.”
“Oh, no. Nothing like that. Just two others.”
“Okay. Can I get you something while you wait for them?” She handed him a menu.
“Just a glass of water…unless you’re on the menu, of course,” he said, and winked.
Oh, gross. A smooth operator Maynard was not. Claudia chuckled anyway, much like she’d seen her waitresses do when the place was a bar. Must be nice to the customers. “Sorry.” Not in this lifetime.
He shrugged. “Oh, well. I had to try.”
Angie seemed to be glaring at them. Oh, no. She doesn’t think for a minute I’d cheat on Anthony…
Maynard surveyed the room and headed toward the table Sadie used. She had taken a dinner break but would be back to read tea leaves within the hour for her six o’clock appointment.
Angie blocked his path. “Not that table. It’s reserved,” she said a little too abruptly.
“Oh? I think your manager said I could sit anywhere I liked.”
Typical Maynard. He took things literally and seemed to do it on purpose. That was one of the things Claudia remembered she didn’t like about him.
Angie looked to Claudia. “It’s okay, Ange. If he wants that table, we can move one for the party that requested privacy.” She sent a pointed expression Maynard’s way and hoped he’d get the hint. Either he didn’t or didn’t want to. He sat at Sadie’s table and made himself comfortable by stretching out his legs and leaning back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head.
Stubborn ass. Claudia made a mental note to put a “reserved” sign on that table when she knew Sadie would be reading.
The bell tinkled and a young couple entered. They spotted Maynard and joined him at the table. “A tea room, eh?” one of them said. “Since when do you drink tea?”
He smiled at Claudia. “Since I found out the manager is an old friend of mine…and maybe a future friend if all goes well.”
Gack.
The couple turned and looked at Claudia for the first time.
“Oh,” said the male. He lowered his voice and said something to Maynard that made him smile. It made Angie’s eyes widen and she almost stomped off to the kitchen.
Whoa. Claudia didn’t want Angie getting the wrong idea, so she followed her.
“Angie.”
When she turned around, Angie’s lips were so thin that she looked like she was trying to hold back a barrage of words.
“Maynard’s an old boyfriend who makes me uncomfortable. Would you mind waiting on him and his friends? I really don’t want to give him the wrong idea.”
Angie let out a deep breath. “Only if I can dump hot tea in his lap.”
Claudia laughed. “If that was allowed, I’d do it myself.”
Angie smiled for the first time since Maynard walked in. She must have finally realized Anthony’s heart was safe.
As if there were any comparison.
“Okay. I’ll try not to spill it directly on him.” Angie’s evil grin would have given Claudia pause if she didn’t know her so well. Angie would be professional…to their faces.
“I’ll be in my office for a few minutes. Knock if it gets busy, okay?”
“Will do,” Angie said.
Claudia knew she was hiding. So what? Maynard did make her uncomfortable. Her sponsor’s voice was in her head. Gaye would tell her to remove herself from unnecessary stress, and that’s exactly what she was doing.